Thanks in
advance to all!!!
So here's what I've got...You all probably won't need all of the detail but I'll
throw it in anyway. (I'll get the exact numbers when I get there today if it becomes important as I'm doing this from memory)
Express 48/96
console with Emphasis server
6 each TS1000 Varilights
An assortment of Source4 750s 26, 36 & 50 degree (about 45 or so)
20
Altman 1000
watt Fresnels
Border lights (6 strips)
5 each - 3 section
cyc lights
We also just received a wireless RRFU....
We have a JRClancy Scene Control for our fly
system...
To give you an idea of how the theater is set up:
1000 seats total, 600 in the
orchestra section, 200 in each of two "
mezzanine" sections located to the left and right of the rear of the theater with the control booth in the middle of them. The control booth is 2 floors - sound on the 1st floor, lighting controls and follow spots on the second floor.
The
stage is 65 ft wide at the
proscenium and about 40 feet deep.
There are 2
FOH electrics which run parallel to the
proscenium and are above about the 10th row of seats - 36 circuits total
FOH
There are 4 electrics on
stage, each about 70 ft long with about 25 circuits on each.
Everything is currently patched 1 to 1. If I remember correctly there are about 175 dimmers which include connections for booms on the right and left on the back wall of the
proscenium as well as on the back wall. Also included in the dimmers are the
edison outlets on the electrics. There are 2 outlets on each.
98% of the time, the theater is used for the daily operation of the middle school that its attached to. They have drama classes and band/
orchestra rehearsals and assemblies and such. As long as we can
throw some light on the
stage, its not really important to them where it comes from.
The other 2% of use is band concerts, school plays and outside productions. The school is scheduling outside groups to perform there as a revenue generator for the schools. For example, a local dance company will be performing the Nutcracker next weekend and there is a vocal group and a brass ensemble scheduled in the spring.
So here's my
vision of where I'd like to get to both personally and for the facility since the more I know, the better the facility will do:
1st (and let's start here) I need to get a
grip on Emphasis. When I've worked with it, I feel like I'm not sure where to start. I'm not technically challenged in any way but in my head I've got to make it make sense. If anyone could help me get started with Emphasis I think it would go a long way in helping me. I guess the big Emphasis question for me is "What should I do first?" Get a lighting scheme in my head? Draw the pipes? Patch the fixtures? Enter my inventory in the
flight case? Go for coffee?
2nd (and I think this is
hand in
hand with # 1) I need to figure out how to patch the Varilights in Emphasis. I can get them to work and do what I want them to do by controlling them with the
Express 48/96 faders but it seems like I'm missing something, and I imagine it would be a nightmare to program a show in
Express and have the moving lights do their thing. It must make more sense to program them in Emphasis? I've read the manuals from
cover to
cover and they keep telling me that its bad practice to patch moving lights in
Express...if I could do it in Emphasis, I would. The Drama teachers are all scheming how they're going to use them in their productions and I want to stay a step ahead of them.
3rd I need to come up with a "
house hang" that actually works. I'm thinking my best route for this comes from 2 paths...# 1 - come up with a
FOH lighting scheme that nicely lights the front curtain when its closed (its a beautiful color of red) and # 2 come up with a general lighting scheme which lights the
stage for band concerts & such. I'll take any suggestions here as well even though its not directly related to the 48/96 or Emphasis. I've also been doing some reading here about schemes for
curtain warmers as well as some other lighting info and the advice at this site is great.
My background is in sound (recording engineer) and video (camera operator, FCP editor,
producer) so some of this is new to me. I could program an RPM88 or BLU-16 all day with my eyes closed and ears open but I can't figure out how to patch a light in Emphasis. I hope I haven't opened a bunch of cans of worms all at the same time...figured I'd
lay it all out and then we dissect it from there.
I think I've got all of the tools I need to make this new place something really special for the students and the community and I really want to do it for them. Thanks again!